# Robert Shapiro (chemist)

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Robert_Shapiro_(chemist)
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Robert_Shapiro_(chemist).md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Shapiro_(chemist)
> Source revision: 1342299906
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

American scientist and academic

Robert Shapiro Born (1935-11-28)November 28, 1935 New York City, United States Died June 15, 2011(2011-06-15) (aged 75)[1] Alma mater City College of New York (BS), Harvard University (PhD) Known for Work on origin of life Awards Trotter Prize (2004) with Paul Davies[1] Scientific career Fields Chemistry Institutions University of Cambridge, New York University Doctoral advisor Robert B. Woodward

Not to be confused with chemist [Robert H. Shapiro](/source/Robert_H._Shapiro) who discovered the [Shapiro reaction](/source/Shapiro_reaction).

**Robert Shapiro** (28 November 1935 – 15 June 2011[1]) was professor emeritus of chemistry at [New York University](/source/New_York_University). He is best known for his work on the [origin of life](/source/Origin_of_life), having written two books on the topic: *Origins, a Skeptic’s Guide to the Creation of Life on Earth* (1986) and *Planetary Dreams* (1999). He opposed the [RNA world hypothesis](/source/RNA_world_hypothesis), and held that the spontaneous emergence of a molecule as complicated as [RNA](/source/RNA) is highly unlikely. Instead, he proposed that life arose from some self-sustaining and compartmentalized reaction of simple molecules: "metabolism first" instead of "RNA first". This reaction would have to be able to reproduce and evolve, eventually leading to RNA. He claimed that in this view life is a normal consequence of the laws of nature and potentially quite common in the universe.[2]

## Works

- *Life Beyond Earth: The Intelligent Earthling's Guide to Extraterrestrial Life* (with [Gerald Feinberg](/source/Gerald_Feinberg)) Morrow, 1980. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-688-08642-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-688-08642-X).

- *Origins: A Skeptic's Guide to the Creation of Life on Earth* Summit Books (January 1986) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-671-45939-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-671-45939-2).

- *Planetary Dreams: The Quest to Discover Life Beyond Earth* Wiley; 1 edition (1999) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0471407356](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0471407356).

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-obit_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-obit_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-obit_1-2) ["Bob Shapiro Passes Away at Age 75"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110928070906/http://chemistry.fas.nyu.edu/object/chem.news.bobshapiropassesaway). New York University. Archived from [the original](http://chemistry.fas.nyu.edu/object/chem.news.bobshapiropassesaway) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Alvin Powell, [NYU chemist Robert Shapiro decries RNA-first possibility](http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/10/nyu-chemist-robert-shapiro-decries-rna-first-possibility/), *Harvard University Gazette*, 23 October 2008

## External links

- [Faculty page](http://chemistry.fas.nyu.edu/object/robertshapiro.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090206220446/http://chemistry.fas.nyu.edu/object/robertshapiro.html) 2009-02-06 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) at [New York University](/source/New_York_University)

- [Page about his books](http://www.robertshapiro.org/index.htm)

Authority control databases International ISNI GND WorldCat National United States France BnF data Japan Spain Netherlands Israel Belgium Academics CiNii People LibraryThing Other IdRef Yale LUX

This biographical article about an American chemist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

- [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:US-chemist-stub)
- [t](/source/Template_talk%3AUS-chemist-stub)
- [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:US-chemist-stub)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Robert Shapiro (chemist)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Shapiro_(chemist)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Shapiro_(chemist)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.